BTW, Monsanto fought hard years ago to avoid labeling milk products that contained bovine growth hormone. They didn’t want consumer opinion to interfere with their bottom line. And yes, a few researchers found problems with BGH and were promptly shut down by Monsanto money. Deregulation is not a panacea in a complex society like ours and can have a deleterious effect on the public.

Hi LCforevah–

It is strange that we have a ban on natural, raw foods and no ban (until now in NYC) on fake foods.  If I were the person (the King, so to speak) who got to decide what was banned and what wasn’t, I would be pretty happy with the outcome.  But, since I’m not, and since I know how misguided those in the position to ban are, I would rather take my chances on having no bans at all. I would prefer that we all got to make our own educated choices and let the market take care of what those choices will ultimately be.  The recent fresh spinach debacle is a case in point.  No one had to ban anything after the E. coli outbreak–the market pretty much took care of it.  People are still leery of eating fresh spinach.
Best–

MRE

Hi Dave–

How true, how true.

Cheers–

MRE

Hi Helen–

Amen.  I think you’re right on the money.

Cheers–

MRE

Hi Scott–

I agree with you right down the line, although if I were to eat fried chicken–which I do on occasion–I would much prefer it’s being fried in palm oil or coconut oil than in hydrogenated soybean oil.  What makes the fast food fried chicken so God awful is the nasty breading they put on it.

I’m all for taking personal responsibility on most everything, especially where food choice is involved.  The less regulation the better.  Over zealous regulation is why we can’t have more locally produced meats.  Farmers and ranchers can raise food animals the right way; they just can’t get them slaughtered (and sold) unless there is a USDA regulated facility to do so close at hand.  And because the USDA requires so much of slaughterhouse operators, there are no small, clean, local, mom-and-pop type facilities.

It’s been my observational experience that whenever the government lays its heavy hand on anything, whatever minor improvements take place are more than offset by the assertion of the law of unintended consequences.

Here’s hoping that the next two years of gridlock minimizes any new regulating, at least at the federal level.

Cheers–

MRE

Hi David–

I suppose that’s one function of government agencies and pseudo government agencies such as the AHA filled with academic pin heads: they keep us all looking smart.

Cheers–

MRE

People eating more trans fats free fries, potato chips, cookies, etc.?

Is it truly a good thing for the uneducated (or rather, mis-educated) people?

Hi Max–

I don’t believe it is a good thing to ban trans fats.  Actually, let me restate.  I DO think it is a good thing to ban trans fats if it would stop there because people will eat less of them.  But I don’t think the idea of banning any food is a good idea because once the process is in place, who knows what the ‘regulators’ will want to ban next.  Steak? Eggs? Saturated fat?

I would much rather decide for myself what I want to eat or not eat.

Education can accomplish a lot.  Look at cigarettes, for example.  Smoking is on the decline everywhere because people have become educated as to the harmful effects of smoking.  Cigarettes are available all over the place–they haven’t been banned, yet people are buying fewer.  Were I New York City I would put my money into education about the ill effects of trans fats instead of into a phalanx of new regulators to enforce a trans fat ban.

Cheers–

MRE

He said the ban is unrealistic and unfairly punitive to the food and restaurant industry.

I guess the ban would hurt their sponsors whose products still contain partially hydrogenated oils and those companies with the AHA logo?

Hi Regina–

So maybe it’s not unshakable stupidity; maybe it’s simple greed.

Cheers–

MRE

I would like to see transfats gone forever, but I don’t think that regulations like this are the way to do it.

HI Elizabeth–

I’m pretty much with you.  I don’t believe in a lot of hands on government regulation, especially of food.  In this case, trans fats are bad, and the ban will be a good thing.  But, what might they set their sites on next?  Saturated fat?

Cheers–

MRE